FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a side-by-side refrigerator in which a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber are provided to stand together side by side. Referring to this figure, a refrigerator body 100 includes the freezing and refrigerating chambers which are open toward a front direction and stand together side by side. The refrigerating and freezing chambers are opened and closed by a door 102 of the freezing chamber and a door 104 of the refrigerating chamber, respectively. The doors 102 and 104 are pivotally supported by hinges 102′ and 104′ provided at upper and lower ends of both lateral sides of the refrigerator body 100, respectively.
An icemaker 106 is provided in the freezing chamber, and a water tank 108 is provided in the refrigerating chamber. Water supplied to the icemaker 106 and water tank 108 is beforehand purified by means of a filter 110. The water is supplied from an external water source Ws to the icemaker and water tank though the filter 110.
Further, a dispenser 112 is provided on a front surface of the door 102 of the freezing chamber. The dispenser 112 allows a user to drink the water supplied from the water tank 108 without opening the door.
Here, the supply of water into the refrigerator body 100 is made through a plurality of supply tubes 110′, 106′, 108′ and 112′ and valves 110v and 106v. The water is supplied to the dispenser 112 through the supply tube 112′ that penetrates through the lower hinge 102′.
However, the aforementioned related art refrigerator has the following problems.
Since the icemaker 106 is provided in the freezing chamber and the water tank 108 is provided in the refrigerating chamber while the dispenser 112 that receives water from the water tank 108 is installed on the door 102 of the freezing chamber, the supply tubes 110′, 106′, 108′ and 112′ for supplying the icemaker, the water tank and the dispenser with the water are installed in the refrigerator body 100 in a complicated manner. Therefore, since the total length of supply tubes 110′, 106′, 108′ and 112′ are increased, there is a problem in that the manufacturing cost thereof are increased and the manufacturing process is also complicated.
Further, since the icemaker 106 is provided in the refrigerating chamber, there is also another problem in that the supply tube 106′ may be frozen at an interval where it penetrates through the freezing chamber. To solve this problem, an additional heater should be used in the supply tube 106′. However, the manufacturing cost and power consumption of the refrigerator are increased due to the use of an additional heater.
Since the icemaker 106 should be placed in a low-temperature environment where ice can be made, it is generally installed in the freezing chamber. In some design conditions, however, there is a limitation on the installation of the icemaker 106 depending on where the freezing chamber should be disposed. For example, if the dispenser is installed on a front surface of the door of the freezing chamber in a case where the freezing chamber is formed at a relatively lower portion of the refrigerator body, it is very inconvenient of a general user to take the ice from the dispenser.
On the other hand, if the icemaker is installed in the freezing chamber in a case where the freezing chamber is formed at the lower portion of the refrigerator body and the refrigerating chamber is formed at an upper portion of the refrigerator body as mentioned above, there is a further problem in that it is difficult to control the temperature of the refrigerating chamber or the ice-making capability of the icemaker is lowered.
In addition, in a case where a single door 102 or 104 is used to open and close the freezing or refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator body 100, there is a further problem in that the loss of cold air from the chamber is increased. In particular, since the size of the refrigerator has been recently tending to increase, the loss of cold air becomes relatively larger.